Ghost Towns In Spain

[quique]

Hello, i'm a new member of the forum. My name is Enrique and I live in Barcelona (Spain).

Just to say that in Spain there are many ghost towns. I've explored some of them. I put some pictures in my webpage www.spanishghosttowns.com (http://www.spanishghosttowns.com). I hope you'll enjoy it.

[HollyDolly]

:D Welcome to the forum,Enrique.I'll have to check out your website.
I bet there are a lot of ghost towns in Spain and throughout Europe.
I wonder if there are any around which were abandoned during the time of the plague which ravaged Europe.
I want to someday go there and visit relatives we have in Garmisch.I'd love to make some day a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella to see the shrine of St.James and visit Lourdes and some of the other old shrines.

[quique]

Well. if you are talking about the european plague of the 14th century, I think there are no ghosttowns of thos time. The towns in good placements were `repopulated again, and the others have dissapeared completely. I just know about two o three chgapels isolated in the countryside that is said that in the Middle Age were the church of a town. But by know the houses have disaperaded completely and the only reamin is the chuch.

Abour the pilgrimage to Santiago I recomend you not to land in the Santiago airport and go directly to St. James shrine. Is much more mystic to reach Santiago through the Santiago Route, the old path that followed the pilgrims in the Middle Age, that can be done by walking or bicycle. It takes more time, from two days to three or more weeks, depending on the start point.Along the path the are old chapels and pilgrims hostels placed on very beutiful places.

[Rockcrusher]

I truly enjoyed the 10 years or so I spent around the Mediterranean. Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Moorish and Norman ruins that date back as far as 2,500 years.

Imagine standing in the middle of a 1,700 year old, 2½ acre Roman Villa that boasted hot & cold running water, flushing toilets and central heat . . . Or visiting friends that lived in a home that predates the United States.

Truly awe inspiring.

[LV Caretaker]

I truly enjoyed the 10 years or so I spent around the Mediterranean. Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Moorish and Norman ruins that date back as far as 2,500 years.

Imagine standing in the middle of a 1,700 year old, 2½ acre Roman Villa that boasted hot & cold running water, flushing toilets and central heat . . . Or visiting friends that lived in a home that predates the United States.

Truly awe inspiring.

Although we didn't spend as much time as you in Europe, we did enjoy 2 years in Sicily. I also visited the home my Mom was born in, in the province of Caserta. The house was built in the 1700's, and by the entrance to the home, on either side of the steps were short (broken down) Roman-style columns. My cousin explained that the home was built on top of old ruins and that the columns were part of the original foundation. :)

Both my husband and I thought that was the coolest thing. The home also had a parapet built into the backside of the home . We were told that was there for the "lookout" to see who would be coming over the hilltop into the valley where Mom's house sat. ;)

Sometimes, I feel like apologizing to the Europeans who visit our ghosttown because our buildings are "only" 130 or so years old. :o

Kathy

[quique]

When I visit ghosttowns I feel always a mixed feelings of curiosity and sadness. It's sad to see place by now liveless, where from the 12th century people used to live. In some houses you still can see carved in the stone , over the entrance door, the shield of the family that owned the house for centuries.

Really it´s a lot of history lost in this ghosttowns.